Cearbhail:

Sorry guys. I know it's been a long time, but I just got back from Japan and you know... Jet lag. So, that's why it's been a while. And I'm also sorry about the length of the chapter. I know it could be longer, much longer. But... I guess it's still pretty awesome. Things happen. A lot of things. For a short chapter, it's pretty involved. Oh well, you'll see. So, in my Ruby story I announced that I will start another new story later on. It was going to involve Ruby's daughter, you know the one, and her journey to Akavir to study the culture and language. It was going to be a humorous story that reflected my own visit to Japan. But, I think it's time I do that story in a male perspective. So, I was thinking, maybe Ruby and Maleek should have a son as well. Why not? I know it didn't happen in the alternate past but things do seem to change after Asger doesn't lose his soul and Lydia doesn't die. We'll see. I'll let you guys guide me on that. If you'd rather see that story in Ranjha running the main perspective rather than whatever his name might be, let me know.

Oh...and enjoy. ^^


Dear book of shadows,

It is the 3rd of Mid Year. Yesterday, I was attacked by my Master Ildari. Well, threatened was more like it. And that wasn't all. She had called me her daughter. After she finished her chat with me, she picked me up and threw me into Talvas's room's wall. By the time I could get up to run, she was already gone. Talvas ran out and checked up on me, asking me why I was waking him up again. When I told him about Ildari tossing me around like a piece of paper, he rushed me into his room and called Master. Master flipped out and told Talvas to get everyone inside the tower. And that's where we've been the whole day. Locked away in the top of the tower.

So, I had a chance to ask Talvas about Ildari calling me her daughter. He wouldn't tell me much, but he did tell me that I looked just like her, down to the way I smirk when I scoff and sarcastically put him down. He says I act just like her, according to what he remembered of her when he was a boy, before he became a Telvanni trainee. He said she was nice before the experiment, before she died. But Ildari wasn't dead; I had seen that for myself. She's still very much alive, and I can still feel her watching me… watching the other kids too. She wants them, but I won't let her have them. I have a solution. And I think no one is going to like it. I just hope it doesn't come to that.

Veselle Tenvanni.

I closed my book and looked around the tower. It was pretty busy. Talvas paced around the tower's levitation circle, making sure all his defensive circles were perfectly engaged. The Vedes children were huddled in their parent's arms. Zera was quietly crying into her mother's arms while Seth looked ready to use some magical spell to go hunting for witches. Teldryn leaned against a wall, arms crossed, one of his hands resting on the pummel of his enchanted sword. He hadn't moved since he was told about Master Ildari coming to collect the children. I guess he believed it was better to wait inside the tower where he could watch us. With both Talvas and Teldryn watching, there was no way I could sneak away. But I had to. It was the only way. I was sure of it.

So, I stood up and started walking over to the room with the staff enchanter. I looked back to see if anyone was watching me, and I could see Teldryn's mirrored goggles glaring up at me. So, I smiled at him and waved. "Would anyone like some tea? I'm brewing!"

Talvas looked over at me, nodding. "I'll have a glass. I'm pretty thirsty."

"Great…" I said and walked into the room. I looked around for what I needed. There was a canis root next to some juniper berries and leaves. Ok, that would do; juniper canis root tea. I started crunching the leaves in the mortar with the pestle until it was a fine powder. I checked with one last glance at everyone. They weren't paying attention to me at all. Teldryn had looked away to check on the Vedes children. I took this time to place my palm over the powdered leaves and feed a compulsion sleep spell on the leaves. I started boiling the tea kettle, helping it along by feeding my fire magicka into it. It came to a boil pretty quickly. I poured the leaves into the boiling water. I could feel my magic take hold and then I dipped the canis root in. I stirred it for a couple minutes, feeding even more magic through the root. By the time I was done, my spell had taken full effect and was ready to be served to Talvas and Teldryn.

I carefully poured seven cups of tea, placing them all on a serving tray. I lifted the tray up and stumbled as I tried to carry it out to the waiting drinkers. "Tea's on!" I called to them all. "I made enough for everyone." Talvas and the Vedes family happily rushed over to take some tea. I watched as they all grabbed a cup, taking small sips. The tea had a delayed action of about a minute, so that they'd gradually just fall asleep. Very subtle, I think. So, as they started drinking I smiled up at Teldryn. "Want some tea?"

He shook his head, pulling out his notebook. I'm on duty. And I don't drink sleep spells on duty. The note read. What? How did he know? Oh well, it didn't matter now anyway. Zera and her mother were the first to yawn. They both started curling up on the floor, the mother wrapping her arms around Zera. Next it was Seth that started drooping and falling to the ground. The father and Talvas looked up at me.

Talvas yawned as he glared at me. "Veselle? What… why?" He could barely ask as he stumbled over, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

The father was the only one to remain standing. "Veselle? If you think you can take my children to that witch…"

"I'm not." I said to him. "I'm going in their place. All she wants is someone to test on. I'll be her test subject. That way she'll leave your children alone. Not to mention, I have some questions for her anyway. She called me her daughter. I want to know if she's my mother or not. If I am her daughter…she won't hurt me anyway." That seemed to be enough for him and he collapsed to a knee, letting out a silent moan as he fell onto the floor. I looked up at Teldryn. "Are you going to stop me?"

I shifted his stance and held out his notebook. I will do what I must. He pushed off the wall, unsheathing his sword. He didn't even start to walk up to me. He brought the blade to his own arm and barely slid the sword across his arm. When he did, a light green mist flew off the blade and enveloped his body. He became as stiff as a board and he just stood there. Oh my gods… he had paralyzed himself to give me time. I nodded my thanks to him as I turned and ran for the levitator. I scanned the circles for any restrictions. They were meant to keep someone out, not let someone leave. Good. I held my breath as I jumped down the deactivated levitation spell. As I got towards the bottom, I pushed some magicka out to slow my final descent. I landed in a roll, coming up on my feet and opening the door. I didn't have my staff; I didn't have any special scrolls with me. I was pretty much on my own right now. Well, not alone. I had my spirits with me.

I exited the tower, running past the final protection circle summoned around the house. I felt a bitter chill run down my back as the wind blew right over me. It made me look up into the sky where the bright stars seemed to look down at me in wonder. I wondered if the gods were really watching over us. Would they think I was being brave or stupid? Would they keep me safe? I wasn't really one for the whole religious thing, especially when Maven managed to turn all super Daedra and destroyed half of Riften. But, right now in this cold night, so silent, the only light coming from the stars and the moon standing over us… it was hard not to think about my place in this universe. I was only one person. Would it matter if I just… I don't know… died? I shuddered at the thought. But that was a very distinct possibility right now. I was about to forcibly go after Ildari, a mage far stronger than I'll ever hope to be. And if she didn't like me, she would kill me. But it was the only thing I could think of. Master was nowhere close to being back. And I'm guessing he won't be back for a while either. I had to do this myself. Just me and my spirits.

I created a portal in both hands, tossing them both up into the air above me. One turned white, the other dark purple. Kyuu and Anari both fell from the portals above me. Kyuu landed on my shoulder, Anari floated behind me. "So, what's going on, partner?" Kyuu asked as he looked down at me. "I felt you freak out earlier and I really wanted to help but you didn't summon me."

"I think I just met my mother, Kyuu." I said up to him. I can remember my mother's face, though. And I didn't get to see the face of the person that almost tried to kill me. She had some shadow spell covering it. Didn't mean I wouldn't find out what her face looked like soon enough though. I looked back at Anari, who floated quietly behind me, humming her weird breathing song while she glided there. "Anari, I need you to do something for me." When she looked at me, I sighed. "I need you to stay here and watch the Vedes children. Make sure no one takes them away. Ok?"

"I understand." She replied.

I paused by my room. I could see inside the room; there was still no door. My bed looked so lonely without me lying on it. I wished I could take a nap before I did this. But there was something else in my room that I wanted more. I walked up to my doorway, peeking inside. My staff waited by the doorway for me. I grabbed it and turned to leave. I took one last look at my garden. I could see the fully grown apple trees and grape vines that I had grown over the month. They looked ready to eat for once. Wish I could. Too bad.

I sighed as I stepped away from the garden, making my way over to the edge of the town. I stopped by the massive protection circle that did nothing to help me earlier. I stepped over the line and looked around. It was so silent that you'd think that there wasn't anything to fear out here. Boy did I know better. I could still feel her watching me. Might as well get her attention. "Hey, viper lady! I want to talk to you. Get out here!"

"You will address me as Master Ildari, you impudent child." She hissed as she glided out of the ash right in front of me.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, not happening. Look, I want to know something." I looked back at Kyuu. "Kyuu… can you see if you can get her hood down?"

"You wish to see my face?" She hissed. She reached up for her hood, grabbing it on the sides. "I will show you myself." She started pulling down, her shadow spell fading with it. When the shadow faded away, bright red eyes flashed open. I could see her withered face, almost white with age. Her hair was grayed but still had some shine of black left in it. But… she looked like an older version of me. And I remember seeing her face before. It was the face of the person who gave birth to me… it was my mother after all. She didn't look as friendly as I remember her looking. She looked aged, dangerous, and dare I say it … pure evil.

"Wow." I said to her as I took a step back. "So… it's true. You are my mom."

She nodded. "I am." She replied, her voice no longer concealed as a viper's hiss. It sounded like my own voice, only older and molded by years of suffering. It was hard to describe, but I could tell that her voice sounded a little strained, saddened by what she had become. Her eyes looked sharp and piercing though.

"What happened to you?" I asked her as I examined her face. But then I wanted to know something else. And it was more important for me. "Why did you leave father and me?" I started screaming to her. I wanted to know why she left us. I never really knew her, and yet here she was the whole time. Living with Master Neloth, studying magic, and helping destroy this whole island.

She smirked. "Aren't you more worried about who your real father was? Or do you really think the farmer with a magicka aura of an infant could possibly spring you into this world?" What? My dad… wasn't my dad? But? If that wasn't true… then who? Master Neloth? Him?

She smirked but she didn't answer me. She only looked around. "Where are the Vedes children? I ordered you to bring them out to me!" She pierced down at me. I was suddenly picked off the ground by some invisible force. I grunted as I hovered six feet off the air while my mother started pacing around me. "You have neglected my order and yet… here you are. Are you stupid enough to come out to face me without the children that I ordered? What makes you think I will not crush you right here?"

"How about the fact I'm your daughter." I struggled to reply.

"I have two others." She returned. "One of which is here on the island, however much of a failure she is. The other is just as strong, but not as depressing." She paced around me like a shade. "Now, give me a reason or I'll return you to your father a bleeding lump of bones."

"I came to take their place." I screamed. "I offer you to experiment on me in their place."

She stopped and glared up at me. She reached for her hood, pulling it over her head. The shadow effect took place and I could no longer see who she was. "You would offer me your body?" She hissed. Then she mused as she looked me over. "Your body would be ill suited for my experiments, but I could use a new assistant, an apprentice. Imagine… mother and daughter working together. And both of us have been exposed to the raw effects of the heart stones. Together we could take down Neloth… and enslave this whole island."

I tried to fight the voice slithering in my head, but I could feel her crawling around inside me. There was this natural wanting for me to be with my mother, and I think she was using that to force me to think she was right. But, I had to anyway. It was the only way to make sure the Vedes children would be safe. I had to do this for Seth and Zera. "Ok…I'll make you a deal." I grunted down at her. It was hard to breathe while I floated in her little levitation grip spell thingy. "You leave the Vedes family alone… and I'll come with you. And you know… do apprentice stuff."

She laughed as she looked at me. The spell started to loosen and she let me slowly fall back down to the ground. When I touched the ground, I crumbled to my knees. I found myself coughing as I tried to catch my breath. "You will pledge yourself here as my apprentice, daughter. Repeat these words: I pledge myself to Master Ildari. I pledge my body, my heart, and my soul if she demands it." So I repeated what she said. It sounded sick when it rolled off my tongue but I said it. When it was over she grabbed me by my jaw and pulled me up on my feet. She turned to leave, saying, "We should go now."

"Veselle!" I heard Talvas cry as he ran out of the tower. He looked over at me and my mother. "Veselle!" He cried even louder as he sprinted towards us. Seth and Zera followed behind him.

"Daughter… make it so that they do not follow us." She said as she started to walk away. "If you do not take care of it… I will. And I am willing to bet that you do not want that."

I nodded to her and turned to look at Talvas. I was still standing right outside the protection circle, and he was standing on the other side of it. He was breathless and glaring at me like I was an idiot. "Veselle?" He asked as he looked from me over to Ildari. "What are you doing out here?"

I looked from him to Seth and Zera. "I'm doing my job. I'm protecting the Vedes family. Look…" I looked at mother. "I know that Ildari's my mother now. And… if I go with her, she'll leave you all alone. So…I'm going with her." I looked back at him. "So… please don't come after us. Ok?"

His body started glowing with Frost magicka. "Not happening, Vess. I'm not letting you leave with her."

"Daughter, I am losing patience. Make him shut up or I will kill him." She hissed back at me, one of her glowing red eyes glaring at me.

I shrugged as I looked back at Talvas. "Sorry, Talvas. I have to shut you up now."

He looked slightly put off but he nodded, looking back at Seth and Zera. "You two go back to the tower. Veselle and I have to fight now."

Seth looked at me, frowning as he grabbed his sister's hand. "Veselle … you don't have to do this for us."

"Yes, I do." I said back at him. "She'd do things to you two… but she won't do them to me. She wants to teach me because I'm her daughter… so I'm safe. You aren't."

Seth only nodded as he pulled his sister with him. "Thank you, Veselle." He called as he pulled her away.

"No, I don't want you to leave." Zera cried as she was pulled away.

I turned my attention back to Talvas. "So…let's do this. And I won't hold back."

"Neither will I." Talvas replied. He brought up his fist and I was suddenly covered in ice up to my head. "You aren't leaving."

"Yes…" I started thinking of my mother who abandoned me… of what she said about my father not being my real father. "I…" I thought about how Neloth might be my father and how pissed off I would be if that were true. "Am!" I screamed as I let all my emotions turn into the fire that fueled my magicka. Talvas's ice shattered, evaporating into steam as I jumped out of the pillar of ice surrounding me, launching myself up into the air. As I soared down at him, I launched my staff out, willing my fire to race down at him. It roared off my staff as a hurricane of destructive lava.

Talvas threw his hands up, Frost magicka roaring off, surrounding him. He managed to keep my fire from killing him. It was a good thing. I didn't want him to die or anything. I just wanted him to lie on the ground long enough for my mother and me to leave. When the dust and ash cleared from where Talvas was standing, I could see a whole wall of ice surrounding him. He looked as calm and collected as ever. "Veselle, you know all about Frost magicka." He said through the wall. "You know how one learns about Frost. It comes from pain, unbelievable pain and suffering. For one to learn Frost naturally, without books, you must have been hurt so bad that you stop feeling altogether. A cold indifference; a frozen heart. I lost a lot of people I knew. My family was killed by Argonians. I was locked in a dark cellar as my family was torn apart by some Argonian raiders. That's when I unlocked my Frost magicka. It's also when I became afraid of enclosed spaces." He said as the air around us started to cool. Snow started falling from the sky. "And later, I lost my girlfriend to some reavers. She was a local from Raven Rock and we were out on a date. The reavers tried to kill us. She tried to run; I tried to protect her. But…she died anyway. Killed by some witch." He glared at Ildari. "Your mother. I will not let her take another of my girlfriends!" He cried as he launched his arms out at her. Giant icicles started launching from the ground right in front of me. They continued to spread and grow as they raced for my mother.

I stepped forward, launching what I had of fire magicka at his growing ice spikes. My fire barely even phased the cold ice as it raced for my mother. In the end, I was unable to stop it from reaching her. And when it did, my mother simply vanished. She reappeared near the protection circle's edge. "I may be unable to cross the barrier, but my magicka will." She snapped her hand out and Talvas was suddenly hulled off his feet. He grasped at his throat as if she were choking him. "Silly boy. You should have listened to my daughter when you had the chance. I would say it is time to join Gwenlena, but… well… she'd have to be dead to join you."

"What?" He struggled to say but that was as far as he got. His face started turning blue as his hand started to lax.

"Mom." I said to her. "That's enough. Put him down." I ran up in front of her spreading my arms out. "Please, don't hurt him further. Just… if you kill him, I will kill myself too. And then you won't have anyone."

She glared down at me but then she released Talvas. He fell to the ground, hitting pretty heavily. "Very well, daughter." She looked from me over to Talvas. "You are fortunate my daughter loves you so much, or you would feed my ash spawn." Before he could reply, she snapped her hand out. Talvas was thrown off the ground. He flew through the air, crashing into the tower before falling to the ground. I looked back at him to see that he was barely stirring. "Come now, daughter. We must go before I kill another." She started strolling off, and I looked back at Talvas one last time before I turned to follow her. I don't know what was going to happen to me now, but at least everyone was ok. They would be just fine now.


Cearbhail:

Ok, so next, the New Assassin's Den and Rogue Shadowscale. Yay... ok, not really. I'd rather work on this now.